Estimates the daily calories needed to maintain your current body weight based on your activity level.
Estimates the daily calories needed to maintain your current body weight based on your activity level.
💡 This tool provides estimates as a guide. Individual results may vary.
Your maintenance calories are the foundation of any nutrition plan. They represent the amount of energy your body needs each day just to maintain your current weight—covering everything from keeping your heart beating to staying active throughout the day, whether that's commuting to work, chasing kids around the house, or powering through back-to-back meetings. Understanding this number helps you make informed decisions about eating more (to gain muscle) or eating less (to lose fat) without guessing.
For busy professionals and parents juggling demanding schedules, knowing your maintenance calories means you can stop second-guessing every meal. You'll have a baseline to work from instead of bouncing between restrictive diets and giving up entirely.
Your result includes two key numbers:
Most people underestimate their activity level. "Lightly active" includes anyone on their feet throughout the day—walking between meetings, cooking, cleaning, or running errands. "Moderately active" might include someone who exercises 3-4 times per week on top of daily work and life responsibilities.
Once you know your maintenance calories:
You don't need to count calories perfectly every day. Use this number as a guide to make better portion decisions, understand hunger patterns, and stop spinning your wheels with fad diets.
Do I really need to count calories?
No, but knowing your baseline helps you make informed decisions. Some people track for a week or two just to calibrate their portions, then eat intuitively from there.
What if my weight isn't changing at my calculated maintenance?
These calculators provide estimates. If your weight stays the same for 2-3 weeks at a certain calorie level, that's your true maintenance—use that number instead.
Should I adjust for high activity or stress?
Yes—if you have a physically demanding job, train intensely, or are under significant stress, you may need more calories. Start with the calculator's estimate, then adjust based on how you feel and whether your weight stays stable.
Once you know your maintenance calories, you can take your nutrition planning to the next level:
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These tools give you the basics. For a complete workout and nutrition plan tailored specifically to your goals and constraints, check out our personalized options.